Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-03
Pfckett's Charge.

In the January number of the Century are articles on the third days fight at Gettys- burg, by General H. J. Hunt and E. P. Alexander. From the latter's account of Pickett's charge we quote as follows: At signal-guns were heard in quick succession. In another minute every gun was at work. The enemy were not slow in coming back at us, and the grand roar of nearly the whole artillery of both armies burst in on the silence almost as suddenly as the full notes of an organ could fill church.
 ''The artillery of Ewell's corps, however, took only sm all part, I believe, in this, as they were too far away around the town. Some of them have done good service from positions between Hill and Ewell, enfilading the batteries fighting us- The opportunity to do that was the single advantage, in our having the exterior line to compensate of all it's disadvantages. But our line was far extended that all of it was not well studied, and the officers of each corps had no oppor- tunity to examine each others ground for chances of cooperative work.
 ''The enemy's position seemed to have broken out with guns everywhere, and from Round Top to Cemetery Hill was blazing like a volcano. The air seemed full of mis siles from every direction. The severity of
 
 ties in my own battalion under Major Hug CT.
 Before the cannonade opened I had made up my mind to give Pickett the order to advance within fifteen or twenty minutes after it began. But when I looked at the full development of the enemy's batteries, and knew that his infantry generally protected from our fire by stone walls and swells of the ground, I could not bring my self to give the word. It seemed madness to launch infantry into that fire, with nearly thre-quarters ofa mile to go in the midday July sun. I let the fifteen minutes pass, and twenty and twenty-five, hoping vainly for something to turn up. Then I wrote to Pickett: If you are coming at all you must come at once, or cannot give you proper support; but the enemys fire has not slack ened at all; at least eighteen guns are still firing from the cemetery itself Five min utes after sending that message the enemy's fire suddenly began to slacken, and the guns in the cemetery limbered up and vacated the position.
 "We Confederates often did such things as that to save our ammunition for use against infantry but I had never before seen the Fedsrals withdraw their guns simply to save them up for the infantry fight. So I said, If he does not run fresh batteries in there in five minutes this is our fght.' I looked anxiously with my glass, and the five min utes passed without 8 sign of life on the de serted position still swept by our fire, and filtered with dead men aud horses and frag- ments of disabled carriages. Then I wrote Pickett urgently: For Gods sake come quick. The eighteen guns are gone; come quick or my ammunition won't let me SUD- port you properly
 s'I afterwards heard iron others what took place with my first note to Pickett.
 Pickett took it to, -Longstreet, Long street read it and said nothing. Pickett said, General, shall I advancep Long, street, knowing it had to be, but unwil- ling to give the word, turned his face away. Pickett saluted and said, T am go ing to move forward, sir, galloped off to his division and immediately put it in mo- tion.
 ssLongstreet, leaving his staff, came out alone to where I was. It was then about 1:40 p. m. I explained the situation, feel ing then more hopeful, but afraid our artil- lery ammunition might not hold out for all we would want. Longstreet said, Stop Pickett immediately and replenish your am intuition explained that it would take too long and the enemy would recover from the effect our fire was then having, and we had, moreover, very little to replenish with. Longstreet said, T don't want to make this attack. I would stop it now but that Gene ral Lee ordered it and expects it to go on. I don't see how it can succeed
 'sI listened, but did not dare offer a word. The battle was lost if we stopped. Ammu- milton was far too low to try anything else, for we had been fighting three days. There was a chance and it was not my part to in terfere. While Longstreet was still speak ing Piekett's division swept out of the wood and showed the full length of its gray ranks and shining bayonets, as grand sight as ever man looked or. Joining it on the left, Pettigrew stretched farther than could see. General Dick Garnett, just out of the sick ambulance and buttoned up in an old blue oyercoat, riding at the head of his brig